by Fitzgerald Cecilio

Detroit, MI

The Detroit Red Wings boost their title chances for next season by signing former Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson and ex-Florida Panthers center Stephen Weiss.

Both players jumped ship for a chance to finally win the Stanley Cup.

"I've played 18 years and I haven't won the Stanley Cup," Alfredsson said. "I'm really excited to get this opportunity at this stage of my career, to go for a Stanley Cup and pursue a long-time dream."

Weiss, who made it in the playoffs only once while playing for the Florida Panthers for 10 years, noted that the Red Wings have a culture of winning over the years.

"Their goal every year is to win a Stanley Cup and to come to a team and be a part of that is really exciting," said Weiss.

Alfredsson, 40, signed a one year, $4.9 million deal mere minutes after NHL teams could sign free agents Friday afternoon.

The Swedish star joins a team with players from his native country, including Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson.

"I expect there will be resentment and anger from fans as I think there definitely should be. I thought that question through as well," said Alfredsson.

Alfredsson, who has been Ottawa's captain since 1999, has played 17 seasons for the Senators, who picked him in the sixth round in 1994. He has 426 goals and 682 assists for 1,108 points in 1,178 career games. He has 51 goals and 49 assists for 100 points in 122 playoff games.

He won the Mark Messier Leadership Award after scoring 10 goals and making 16 assists during the 47-game shortened season. He won the Calder Trophy as the league's rookie of the year in 1996.

Weiss, who signed for five years and $5.5 million, fills a void as a second-line center when Valtteri Filppula couldn't agree to a deal.

The 30-year-old Weiss has 145 goals and 394 points in his career that began with the Panthers during the 2001-02 season. He had a career-high 61 points during the 2008-09 season and scored a career-high 28 goals the next year.

He was limited to playing just 17 games during the shortened season in Florida, a year after he had 20 goals and 57 assists for the Panthers. He had wrist surgery in March.

 

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"Daniel Alfredsson, Stephen Weiss Eye Stanley Cup with Red Wings"